Before Vijender Singh’s bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Indian boxing had Akhil Kumar, with his 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold. Incidentally, Akhil was also Vijender’s roommate and mentor in his initial days with the sport.
Akhil Kumar
New Delhi: Before Vijender Singh’s bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Indian boxing had Akhil Kumar, with his 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold. Incidentally, Akhil was also Vijender’s roommate and mentor in his initial days with the sport.
Akhil Kumar
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However, yesterday, while Vijender was busy preparing for his big night at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, Akhil was a few hundred kilometres away at the National Institute of Sport in Patiala down with a cold and cough.
“I’m very happy for Viju. Apna chotu champion hai woh. I would’ve loved to be there but I am down with a severe cold,” the Deputy Superintendent of Haryana Police told mid-day yesterday.
'Wait and watch'
However, while Vijender is raking in the moolah, Akhil had a warning for aspiring young boxers looking to jump onto the professional bandwagon. “Professional boxing is new in India and I urge our youngsters to wait and watch before taking the plunge. Currently, there are no restrictions on forming professional bodies and anybody who has money can become a promoter and organise fights. This is a dangerous situation because too many such fights could dilute the quality of the sport.” he said.
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